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Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is when you cannot move or speak as you are waking up or falling asleep. It can be scary but it's harmless and most people will only get it once or twice in their life.
What happens during sleep paralysis
During sleep paralysis you may feel:
awake but cannot move, speak or open your eyes
like someone is in your room
like something is pushing you down
frightened
These feelings can last up to several minutes.
Causes of sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis happens when you cannot move your muscles as you are waking up or falling asleep. This is because you are in sleep mode but your brain is active.
It's not clear why sleep paralysis can happen but it has been linked with:
insomnia
disrupted sleeping patterns – for example, because of shift work or jet lag
narcolepsy – a long-term condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
general anxiety disorder
panic disorder
a family history of sleep paralysis
Things you can do to help prevent sleep paralysis
Do
try to regularly get 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day
go to bed at roughly the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning
get regular exercise, but not in the 4 hours before going to bed
Don’t
do not eat a big meal, smoke, or drink alcohol or caffeine shortly before going to bed
do not sleep on your back – this can make sleep paralysis more likely to happen
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
You often have sleep paralysis and you feel:
very anxious or scared to go to sleep
tired all the time due to lack of sleep
Information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: how to contact a GP
It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
visit their website
use the NHS App
call them
Find out about using the NHS during COVID-19
Treating sleep paralysis
A GP may be able to treat an underlying condition that could be triggering sleep paralysis such as insomnia or post-traumatic stress disorder.
If this does not help they might refer you to a doctor who specialises in sleep conditions.
Treatment from a specialist
You might be given medicine usually used to treat depression. Taking this type of medicine at a lower dose can also help with sleep paralysis.
You might also be referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Page last reviewed: 03 December 2019
Next review due: 03 December 2022
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